Condensation device for retorts



D. L. NEWKIRK ElAL CONDENSAT'ION DEVICE FOR RETOR'I'S Filed Aug. 11, 1945 2' Sheets-Sheet l E. Ensi n INVE TOR.

Aug. 21, 1945. D. 1.. NEWKIRK ET AL 2,333,209

CONDENSATION DEVICE FOR RETORTS Filed Aug. 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ayfzwn (@601 Patented Aug. 21, 1945 s 2383309. i CONDENSATIONQDEVIGEEFDRBETQRESW 1 Daniel L. Newk'irk, Inkster, and Elbert- E. Ensigml. i Ypsilanti, MiclL, assignors toEord-Motor Com-.-

,Miclil, a. corporati n of 'Dela- Application August 11, mala se-mine.498,209 H s 70min impasse-1'9) 1 This inventionrelates to retort tube furnaces; and, more particularly, to acondenser tobe used inzconnection withthese furnaces,

'I his invention comprises a device to be. in-

serted inthe ends of a tube retorttforthencone densationand, collection of the products resulting irom'the chemical reaction taking place in the retort Furnaces of this type whichcomprise an externally heatedtubecontaininge charge. which undergoes chemical decomposition with formation oi certain gaseous products which are thereafter condensed tosolid form, are used in the reduction aswell as in the smelting of other, metals. under similar conditions. The retort consists: essen tially of metal tube supported in a heating pcham -e p r (in the present instance, the chamber contains a liquid heating medium as described in copending application Serial No; 454,580) having a portion extending ffromtiie chamber which isat a lower.

temperature and serves as the condensing, portion of the retort. In thesmelting of magnesium,

magnesiumbearing dolomite ore and ferrosil-icon briquettes are charged into thechamberportion of the tube; the tube is closed and evacuated, and the charge is lorough't to the reaotion temperature, Gaseous magnesium is formed asltheresult of the chemical reaction which ensues and this "is drawn towardthe extending portion otjtjhe tubeithgrough the lflowlestablished by the vacuum pump, Since this'p ortion is maintained below the condensation i temperature of the gaseous magnesium, reguline magnesium metal is deposited in the-condensation portion. fWhen the" reaction is completed, the tube is opened and the metal will he foundlocal ized in the condensation"portion; the exhausted charge remaining in the eha'mberfportion of the retort tube. Theseare then removed and the process repeated. It w'i11'be a1ipare ntthat this process is adapted to any lmetal which may be for'iriedinithe gaseous state smelting;

t t'l n lith p a iicein i rna scf t s to insert a'reniovablesleevein the condone sationportion'o'f'the retort tube so that after the a reaction is completed thesleeve together with the adheient'iiietalli'c magnesium, can'be removed as "a as 'thema'gnesium displays a considerable tendenc toadhereto'the surface on whichit condenses. no everga considerable amount of metallic magnesium} is formed during successful operat en ofa furnace or "this typeand it is diflie cult to provide adequate circulation through the condensing chainber sleeve since the" metal com de'nsate'inay blocktlie egress from it; wim-eor sequent'reductionpf *operatingefliciendy. Another of magnesium ore to obtain metallic magnesium difii'culty is :that to obtaincomplete condensation a condensation chamber: of considerable length must be provi'ded and-thispresents structural difiie cultiesh which are tobe avoided, if ipossihle The present invention, therefore, contemplates the provision "of :a shorten'ed but highlyeflicient condensation 'chambentogether with aremovable sleeve constructionin which positive: exhaust means are maintained at all "times; The :advantageof this is that a maximum amount of magnesium -condensate 'is obtained :in aashortened condensation chamber which at once reduces the exof the installation and the difliculty' of sleeve removal. Aifurtheradvantage iszthat cloggin'g of the-gas circuit is entirely obviated and a gaseous counterfiow efiect isiuachieved which scours the-exhaust port and keerasitv'free {at all n times. H t v t v Yet another advantage,- particularly important in the reduction ofamagnesium, is "the separation from the condensed magnesiummetal of thecon- 'densed sodium wliich isusually formed concomitantitherewith. The charge used usually contains some "sodium -bearingmaterial and this too is re duced during thereduction process. It; passes in the form a gas into the condensation chamber butis distinguished from the magnesium in that it condenses at a somewhat lower temperature. In conventional condensation practice, where but one chamber is provided; the -magnesium and sodium necessarily: are deposited together. When the chamber is opened the sodium ignites on contact with the I air and in: some cases will ignite the magnesium'metal with serious-results. Therefore; it is advantageous to provide-separate condensation areas for these two metals, if possible; lhe construct-ionshown in thisapplication effectively segregates the magnesium and the sodium, pro= viding diflerent condensation areasfor eaohmeta I 1 so that; on i opening the tub'e, the combustion of the-sodium will not afiect the magnesium.

' With-'theseand otherobjects in View, the inven tion coiisists in the arrangement; construction andmdmbinafiion 3 of the Various parts of the inipr'oved device-as described in the specification;

claimed in the claims and illustrated the ac *oompanying drawings in which: 1 s it Figure 1 is-af'side- 'view' of "the "exterior portion oi aretort tube t'aken' on the I-3-l of Figure Figure 2 is-anelevation ofa portion of the face offa-retort furnace? showing a. multiple-tube arrangement:

Figure flong'ittidinal section throughzt e condensation portion" ofefrt'iirt tube.-

Figures 4 and 6 are transverse sections taken as shown by the lines 4-4 and 6--B, respectively, of Figure 3.

Figure is a transverse. section through the retort (omittin the water jacket) as indicated by the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure ft is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarge'di scale,showing thejsealing means employed.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the furnace is indicated generally at ID. This; it will be under stood, comprises a heated chambercontaininga liquid heat-transfer medium although only a porstructural form such as a channel, angle, or even a complete pipe of smaller diameter, it being 7 essential only that an auxiliary passageway is tion of the front wall ll and the retorti tube ,I2

which projects into the chambenare shown. A

solidified seal I3 between wall I I and retort tube [2 prevents leakage of the molten material within the furnace.

tion tube section welded to it. Airtight enclosure is provided through'a cover l6 havin 'a flared flange I1 and hingedly supported by an evacuationpipe [8 which includes an extensible bellows section 1.9 on theexhaust header 20.;lThe header is closed at one ,end 2! and has a pintle 22 pivote'd' on the support 23. The other end of the header is joined .througha union 24' to the exhaust line 25 which serves as the opposite support. A handle 26 facilitates rotation of the header andits associated covers to the position shownin dottedline in'Figurefl when the union 24 is loosened. I

' The outer end of the condensation section I5 is encompassed by awater jacket 21 having connections 28 which supportitin place. The vacuum seal between the cover '16 andthe tube I5 is effected by a round rubber ring gasket 29 which bears against the water jacket 21, the outer surface'of the tube I5 and the inner surface of the flared flange l7.v No other seal or locking device is required since the reduced pressure within the tube is moreuthan sufiicient'to hold the cover tightly in place while the proximity of the water jacket prevents. deterioration' of the, gasket due to the retort heat.

The condensing chamber 30, as shown in Figure 3, includes a heat dam 3|, a; condensation sleevev 32 and asa gas chamber 33.- .Theheat dam:3i comprises a short section o'f 'pip'e'34 to which is secured adiaphragm35 having acentral aperture 36 and'a baiile plate: 31;; fit slides inthe condensing chamber -untilit comes to rest against the end of the heavy section [4 of the retort, and its purpose is to reflect heat from the retort chamberand prevent itsready transmission to the condensation area.

The sleeve 32 is another section of sleeve pipe 38 which willslide into the. condensing chamber 30 and is open at the retort end and has re.- movable two-spaced walls. 39 and 40 at theouter end, forming the gas chamber 33.- The outer wall 48 has a central aperture 4| which opens to the space 42 defined by the cover 16; and the inner wall'39 has acrescent-shaped aperture 43 in its lower portion. Thisaccommodates a split pipe 44 which rests freelyinside the sleeve pipe 38 and traverses the inner wall 39. Pegs 45. are welded at each end of the split pipe 44 and serve to space it from theheat dam 3lv and the outer-. most wall 40 to insure free access between the pipe 44 and the condensing chamber30-at one end and the pipe and gas chamber 33 atthe other. While in the present instance, the split pipe is shown as a segment of a standard pipe, it will be understood that it could assume any Each tube iZi'ncludes a heavy furnace tube section 14 and a lighter condensa-.

ily placed and removed and is generally easy to handle.

" In operation, a charge, represented by the briquettes 46 is placed in the retort tube I2; the heat dam 3| and sleeve pipe 38 are inserted in the condensation section l5, the split pipe 44 resting freely within the sleeve. The retort cover is then brought over the end of the condensation tube i5 and the vacuum pumps are started evacuating the space 42, chamber 33 and the interior of the retort and completing the seal between the cover and the tube. The charge is brought to proper temperature and chemical reaction occurs releasing gaseous magnesium and other components, which pass throughthe aperture in the diaphragm in response to impressed evacuation to the condensing chamber 3e and are impelled rearwardly therein by prior condensation of gas at the cold outer end ofthe condensing chamber. After the magnesium gas content has been condensed the remainder is drawn off, as indicated by the arrows, through the split pipe 44 and thence into the'gas chamber 33. However, the temperature in the split pipe is somewhat lower' than that prevailing in the remainder of the condensation chamber, and the gaseous sodium will be con- -fect within the chamber so that while the mag- 47 the sodium is separately condensed within the split pipe t4, and a free circulation is maintaineo. at all times between the interior of the retort and the evacuating means to permit maintenance oi the vacuum and removal of other gaseous products. I g

In priorstructures, a simple sleeve was used with a heat baflie at the inner end and a diaphra'gm with a restricted opening atthe outer. In practice, however, it is found that magnesium tends to build up in the manner shown and the outer aperture would frequently fill with con-' densedmetal so that continued operation was impossible. In addition, the sodium would also condense along with the magnesium with possible dangerous results when the retort was opened. In the present structure, a 'counterflow efiect is'achieved which not only separates the' sodium and magnesium, but at thesame time assures that the circulation through the system will not be impeded. It further obtains, in a relatively short condensation chamber, the same results which heretofore have required an ex; tremely long condensation chamber. In effect, these advantages are directly traceable to the use of auxiliary conduits formed by the split pipe Mend the proper location of thecooling areas atthe outer end of the condensation area;

Some changes may be made in the arrangement, construction and combination of the var.- i'ous parts of the. improved construction with-: out departing from the spirit of-the invention and'it is the intention to cover by the claims the inner end and closed at the outer endya conduit within said sleeve providing a supplementary passage, said conduit opening at one end adjacent the open end of saidsleeve and traversing the closed end of said sleeve.

3. In a condensing unit for a tube retort, a

sleeve fitting within said tube, said sleeve being open at the inner end and closed at theouter end, a conduit within said sleeveproviding a supplementary passage, said conduit opemng adjacent the open end of said sleeve and traversing the closed end of said sleeve, a heat dam having a restricted opening in said tube inwardly of said sleeve, a cover at theend of said tube and a chamber between said [cover and the closed end of said sleeve, the outer end of said conduit communicating with said chamber.

. 4. In a condensing unit for a tube retort, a

sleeve fitting with said tube, said sleeve being open at theinner end and closed at the outer end, a conduit providing a supplementary passage opening adjacent the open end of said sleeve and traversing the closed end Of said sleeve, a water jacket surrounding said tube adjacent the closed end oi said sleeve, a cover at the outer end of said tube, a chamber formed between the outer end of said sleeve and said cover, said conduit communicating with said chamber.

5. In a condensing unit for a tube retort, a

sleeve fitting within a portion of said tube,

means to create reverse circulation of said gases admitted to said sleeve from said tube comprising a supplementary conduit opening adjacent the inner end of said sleeve and providing the sole means of removing the gaseous contents of saidsleeve therefrom.

6. In a condensing unit for for a tube retort, a sleeve fitting within said tube, said sleeve open at the inner end and closed at the outer end, a dam having a restricted opening adjacent the inner end of said sleeve, a conduit providing a supplementary passage opening adjacent said dam and extending beyond theclosed portion of said sleeve to remove gases therefrom, and cooling means efiective adjacent the closed end of said sleeve.

7. In a condensing unit for a tube retort, a

" sleeve fitting within said tube, said sleeve being open atthe inner end and having a closure ad jacent the outer end, a dam disposed in said tube inwardly of said sleeve and having a restricted opening, a cover at the end of said tube,

a chamber formed between said cover and said sleeve, cooling means disposed around said tube adjacent said chamber, a conduit providing a supplementary passage opening adjacent the open end of said sleeve and traversing said 010-.

sure, the outer end of said conduit communicating .with said chamber, and means for positioning said conduit with respect to said dam and said closure to maintain said communication therethrough.

DANIEL L. NEW'KIRK. ELBERT E. ENSIGN. 

